


A Horse is a Companion

by bellygunnr



Series: shoot for the stars [3]
Category: DAYS (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, First Love, Horseback Riding, Horses, M/M, Noblemen Kazama Jin, Noblemen Ooshiba Kiichi, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 19:07:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17493566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellygunnr/pseuds/bellygunnr
Summary: “The - the - Kimishita ranch… You can follow me there, if you want! I was just going there…” the boy stammers, shrinking in on himself and away from Ooshiba’s overwhelming aura. “It’s outside of the walls, so it’s a bit of a walk --”“You’re going there too?! Great, I’ll just walk with you, kid!” he crows triumphantly. Only then does he release the boy (who slumps with relief). “I’ve heard good things about that place.”





	A Horse is a Companion

_ “Father, if I want a steed of my own, I want to buy one from our own town.” _

 

_ “Then why don’t you buy a horse from the Kimishita family? They have fine steeds there, and take stellar care.” _

  
  


And that’s how Ooshiba finds himself wandering the worn cobbled streets of the city’s commoner neighborhood, cheeks heating up with a slow burn as he realizes how out of place he is. There are heads turning to stare at him, faces weathered and toughened with struggle, eyes narrowed at his spotless clothing. Some usher their kids closer to their sides or leave the street entirely, leaving Ooshiba increasingly isolated on the dingy path. This treatment was his fault, he knew. Noblemen never came into this part of the city and when they did, it was to be vile and abusive.

_ All I want is a horse _ , he muses sadly.  _ But I don’t know where to go! I thought the Kimishita ranch was on this side of the city… I should ask someone for directions.  _

That would be the smartest choice. He doubted even his family’s drivers would know where to go from here. He cuts his eyes to the edges of the street for some unsuspecting resident, but there’s no one around except--

There is someone around!

“Hey, kid! I need your help!” Ooshiba shouts, already lunging. It’s a frail-looking boy in simple clothes, dirtied and worn in places. He nearly leaps out of his skin at Ooshiba’s hulking presence.

“What- what is it? Yes, sir?” the boy stammers. His eyes are wide and anxious, a liquid crystal, skin lightly tanned.

“I need directions to the Kimishita ranch. Do you know where to find it? I heard it’s around here,” he says loudly. He’s clutching his shoulder tightly, clearly bursting at the seams with his success and excitement.

“The - the - Kimishita ranch… You can follow me there, if you want! I was just going there…” the boy stammers, shrinking in on himself and away from Ooshiba’s overwhelming aura. “It’s outside of the walls, so it’s a bit of a walk --”

“You’re going there too?! Great, I’ll just walk with you, kid!” he crows triumphantly. Only then does he release the boy (who slumps with relief). “I’ve heard good things about that place.”

“Oh, yes! They really must be, if a rich man is taking notice!” the boy mumbles. “Um…”

“Well, hurry up and get going!” Ooshiba huffs.

+

 

The boy turns out to be named Tsukamoto and an absolute bundle of nerves. He fidgets and pulls at himself the entire meandering trek to the ranch, forcing Ooshiba to swallow himself down and focus on the scenery. The country was beautiful this side of the city, so it’d be a shame to let it go to waste over a brat. 

The hills are alive with color in the full force of spring, rippling streams of golds and pinks and greens under the wind’s gentle tug. Birds can be seen swooping wildly into the grasses from Ooshiba’s position on the path, showing off their hidden underwings as they cast off above him. He cranes his neck to follow their trajectory, righting himself only when he’s distracted by something far larger.

“Sir, look! A mother duck,” Tsukamoto urges him quietly, pointing ahead.

He squints, looking out across the dirt path in confusion. Then he sees it-- a rustle in the grass, a single white head poking out. A large and rotund bird waddles free of the grasses, followed by a bobbing train of yellow. It honks almost ceremoniously in a steady beat, cleanly ignoring him and Tsukamoto. Its babies follow in a loose formation.

“There’s a pond on the Kimishita ranch that she lives in,” Tsukamoto hums. “Seeing her must mean we’re close!”

“Eh? I can’t even see the ranch yet,” Ooshiba growls. He neglects to comment on the waterfowl waddle.

“Of course not. But it’s close!”

  
  


They do reach the Kimishita ranch - sometime in late morning. Streams of wispy white clouds have rolled in from the southern horizon, splitting the sun’s rays over the plains like Lord’s fingers. The Lord’s fingers, however, do nothing to hide the shabby state of the ranch, instead exposing the flaking paint in lighted glory. Horses wander lazily through a pasture enclosed by a heavily weathered and chipped fenceline. Ooshiba swallows his misgivings and follows Tsukamoto to the ranch house’s door. 

“Kimishita! Good morning!” 

“Eh? You’re here quickly, Tsukamoto. I didn’t think I was gonna see you until next month…”

The ranch house owner is bristly and bright, compared to his home. He’s reclining behind a wooden desk, obviously caught slacking off and not bothering to hide it. Ooshiba purses his lips with a building sense of erroneous will.

“Oh! I’m here for my neighbor today. They--”

“I want to look at your horses,” Ooshiba interrupts loudly. He swaggers up to the desk, still squinting critically. 

“Hey! Tsukamoto was speaking, thank you very much,” the man- no, another boy like himself- snaps. “You must want to buy something, otherwise you wouldn’t have come in here! Go look at the horses outside and let me work with Tsukamoto.”

Ooshiba blanches at the abrasive approach. He blanches harder when the boy - Kimishita - points aggressively behind him.

“The way to the stables is back there. I’ll come check on you when I’m done with my first man, you got that?”

He got that.

+

 

Ooshiba quickly realizes that while the stables looked shabby, they were well cared for. What repairs he could decipher had been made thoughtfully and thoroughly, maintaining that crucial environment for the horses. The horses were clean and well-groomed, peering at him curiously from behind their stalls. Unfortunately, he knew fish better than he did horseflesh, so he could only hazard guesses at what they were. He studies them individually before slowly wandering out to the pasture, to see the rest of the beasts.

He’s immediately greeted by a loose horse.

_ That doesn’t… look right,  _ Ooshiba thinks dumbly. He stares in mild confusion as the horse wanders the fenceline, head bowed as it pulls at clumps of grass. Its coat is a solid ginger, burning like a brand under the filtering sunlight. Its mane and tail are a paler brown, but what stands out is the single white sock on its right hind leg.

“Don’t mind her,” a voice says loudly behind him. It’s the boy from earlier, face pinched with both irritation and fondness. An odd combination, if anything. “She gets out all the time. I put her back away at the end of the day.” 

“Oh,” Ooshiba hums. “What’s her name?”

“Eh? Her name’s Prairie,” Kimishita supplies. “She isn’t for sale anymore, but her son is. He’s out to pasture right now, though, if you want to take a look.”

Ooshiba considers this. He nods.

“Why not?”

+

 

Prairie’s offspring is slightly larger than her- and a far more fiery color. It reminds him vaguely of Kimishita and his spiky mane of hair, the confident cut of his shoulders as he encourages the gelding to approach. He tosses his head with spirit, showing off a white blaze over his long muzzle.

“How much is he?” Ooshiba inquires.

“Five hundred,” Kimishita says, jaw clenching. “Seven hundred if you want tack and feed, too. He’s broke and well-trained, so don’t worry about that. It’s up to you to be a good rider…”

_ Well, I’ve had lessons,  _ Ooshiba thinks, but wisely doesn’t say it aloud. How hard can it be?

“I’ll take him,” he says impulsively.

“You can’t just buy a horse without spending time with it first! I refuse!” Kimishita bursts instantly. He glares intensely at Ooshiba, teeth bared. “What if he doesn’t like you, huh? Come on. I’ll bring him back to the stables, and you can ride him there.”

What…? What?  _ What? _

“What do you mean by that? Can’t I just buy him and ride him home now?” Ooshiba says, slightly outraged.

“No! Do you buy clothes without seeing if they fit first? But of course you do, I bet, you idiot!” Kirishima snaps back. “Horses are companions, not accessories!”

 

+


End file.
